As we’ve noted before, amaranth has a gelatinous quality that makes it ideal for pudding. If you’re fan of rice pudding or tapioca, you’ll probably like this, too. Our version is spiced with a little ancho chile powder and ground cinnamon, and sweetened with coconut sugar. You can cook the amaranth in unsweetened coconut milk beverage found in the refrigerated section of health food stores (rather than the thicker, richer canned coconut milk you’d use in our Spring Vegetable Curry), or use almond milk if you prefer less pronounced coconut flavor.
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Category Archives: Gluten-Free
Fennel & Mint Raita
Raita is an Indian condiment made with yogurt, vegetables, herbs and spices. It’s often made with cucumber, but in spring, we like to use fresh fennel and mint. Try it with our Red Lentil Dal with Caramelized Onions, Carrots and Peas. It’s also delicious with lamb, poultry or fish. Save the pretty fennel fronds to garnish the bowl.
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Red Lentil Dal with Caramelized Onions
Dal is an Indian cuisine comfort-food standby made with lentils, dried beans or peas. Tarka is a technique in which spices are sauteed in fat to magnify their flavor. And as we learned from spice guru Monica Bhide, you’ll enjoy even more vivid flavor if you grind whole spices. Depending on your choice of cooking fat and stock, you can make this a vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free. Prepare the tarka and raita while the lentils simmer. Serve this dal with brown basmati rice, roasted cauliflower and our Fennel and Mint Raita.
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Swiss Chard with Grated Garlic
This chard recipe is my new go-to green dish. I can literally go from picking chard from the garden to getting this on the table in under 10 minutes. And don’t let the humble ingredients list fool you … these greens are loaded with flavor. I recommend zipping and chopping the greens, then giving them a good rinse in a big bowl of cold water and spinning or straining them dry. A Microplane zester works best for this dish because it grates the garlic so finely as to make almost a paste. If you don’t have a Microplane zester, use the finest grater you have and cook a tad longer.
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Make-at-Home Socca
The French word socca refers to flour made from chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). Socca also is the name for the delicious, crepe-like snack that’s a specialty of Nice, where street vendors cook it over a wood fire in giant, shallow cast-iron pans. Using a cast-iron skillet, you can start the socca on the stovetop and finish it under the broiler to achieve similar results at home.
You can find chickpea (garbanzo) flour at Indian markets (where it might be labeled besan or gram flour), health food stores and even in some supermarkets with the gluten-free offerings. Serve it as a summertime appetizer with a garnish of coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper, and a chilled rose. Or dust it with powdered sugar for dessert. As an added perk, socca is gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
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Wild Mushrooms Roasted in Parchment
This recipe for wild mushrooms from Seattle Chef Tamara Murphy’s book Tender illustrates her straightforward approach to cooking peak-season ingredients. “I even do this when I’m camping,” she says. Foragers typically do a good job of cleaning up delicate wild mushrooms, so just use a brush or paper towel to gently wipe away any traces of dirt. Above all, keep mushrooms dry, Murphy cautions. “Mushrooms roast best when they’re clean and dry.” Here, I used a combination of baby shiitakes and chanterelles that I found at a local farmers’ market stand run by a chef who comes from Bavaria, Germany, where he used to trade beer for mushrooms. Your kitchen will smell fantastic as this bakes! These wild mushrooms make a terrific side dish, or you can sprinkle them over pizza or pasta, or layer them on crostini smeared with goat cheese.
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We love ‘shrooms! Try these mushroom recipes:
- Double-Decker Portobello Burgers
- Chicken and Mushroom Saute with Marsala Cream Sauce
- Easy Mushroom Ragu
Caramelized Sunchokes with Meyer Lemon Zest & Parsley
Sunchokes (a k a Jerusalem artichokes, from the Italian name, girasole articiocco) are one of those items you’re more likely to find at the farmers’ market than at the grocery store. These homely little tubers of the sunflower resemble ginger root and can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, they have a mild, faintly nutty flavor and crunchy texture; try them julienned or sliced paper thin. Cooking deepens their nutty character. Sunchokes have a thin skin, so don’t bother peeling them–just give them a gentle scrub with a vegetable brush. With a sprinkling of lemon zest and parsley, this side dish pairs well with roast chicken or pan-seared fish.
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Amaranth “Polenta” with Goat Cheese
Amaranth is a gluten-free grain with an inherently gelatinous quality that makes it a good substitute for polenta in this simple side dish. It’s delicious with just about anything, from poultry to grilled shrimp to our luscious Short Rib and Cremini Ragu. You can change up this basic recipe in any number of ways: experiment with different cheeses and herbs, stir in sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed spinach or peas…use whatever goodies you have on hand!
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Improvised Lentil Soup with Bacon & Juniper Berries
Several things conspired to make this lentil soup–an overabundance of bacon in the fridge, some leftover juniper berries and a yen for soup on the chilly evening. Lentils and pork are a classic combination, and after consulting Niki Segnit’s The Flavor Thesaurus, I found that juniper berries (which I don’t use often) also have an affinity with pork. Deglazing the pan with a splash of sherry deepens the flavor while the juniper berries lend a bright counterpoint.
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Shaved Celeriac, Radish and Pecorino Salad with Pomegranates
This simple dish is based on a winter salad served at London’s Bocca di Lupo and featuring celeriac (celery root) as the star ingredient. Get out your mandolin or Japanese slicer to shave the veggies and cheese, or use a very sharp knife to cut them paper-thin. If you don’t have white truffle oil on hand, substitute your best, most flavorful olive oil. The salad will taste just as fresh, if not quite as earthy.
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